How an e-retailer handles content from hundreds of manufacturers

In IRCE speaker will talk about standardizing content from multiple suppliers.

Richard Tawney

When an online business relies on information from hundreds of product suppliers of all sizes, managing product information can be a challenge. Richard Tawney, director of e-commerce and online marketing at Lumens.com, should know, as the online retailer of lighting products, fans and home accessories works with content provided by more than 300 vendors.

During the session, Tawney will talk about the different ways Lumens receives content from its manufacturer partners, which include small and large brands and European custom made-to-order companies, and what those differences mean for e-commerce operators. “We need to have a level of consistency in our product content to efficiently run our business and I will discuss how we’ve taken on that challenge,” he says.

Tawney also will discuss how Lumens is changing its product information management system to accommodate content received from multiple sources, how the e-retailer works with vendors to standardize content, and how it is developing a streamlined workflow for publishing to the e-commerce site.

Internet Retailer’s editors asked Tawney to speak because he has 14 years of experience in online marketing, web customer experience and e-business strategy. At Lumens.com, he is responsible for e-commerce infrastructure and architecture, online shopping experience, product information and publishing, traffic generation and site conversion. Previously, he spent 12 years in a variety of roles at Hewlett-Packard’s direct consumer business, Hpshopping.com.